London Marathon Events teams up with Council for Responsible Sport

This year, LME will be using the ReScore app, which is a cloud-based application developed for the Council for Responsible Sport by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The app enables event organisers to measure, track, report and verify progress across social and environmental indicators.

LME has continued to improve its environmental impact, which has been detailed through an annual environmental report, and has actively inspired its stakeholders and partners to also strive for positive change.

By working with the ReScore app, LME will be able to begin the process of quantifying and demonstrating the social impact of the organisation’s work. ReScore will also track all the positive social impacts of the TCS London Marathon, including the impact of LME’s work to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive marathon.

The app will assist in verifying LME’s sustainability progress to help achieve its carbon emission goals, which include reaching net zero carbon emissions across its own operations by 2024. LME’s goals also include removing more carbon than it emits across all event operations by 2025.

To achieve these aims, LME has introduced initiatives across its events and this weekend’s London Marathon will see a £26 carbon levy paid by all international participants to fund carbon removal and offset projects; New Balance finisher t-shirts made from 100% recycled polyester; reusable mile markers created in 2022 made from event waste and recycled ocean plastic; and 100% electric lead vehicles as well as more than 50% of logistics vehicles used in event set and breakdown.

Further moves include cleaner event power such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)-fuelled baggage vehicles and generators; the ability for participants to opt out of having a t-shirt and instead planting a tree; medal ribbon made from recycled materials; finisher bag made from sugar cane; specially designed bottle belts made from 95% recycled materials; a Drink, Drain, Drop campaign to make sure bottles are collected and returned for recycling; and clothing discarded at the start collected and sent for reuse and recycling.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director for LME, said: “London Marathon Events is passionately committed to maximising our social impact and minimising the environmental impacts of our events. Our environmental focus is to Eliminate, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and we are working towards achieving net zero carbon emissions across our own events by 2024.

“Our social impact has driven the organisation for many years, and we are delighted to be starting to measure it through the ReScore app, developed by TCS. It will enable us to have a world-recognised ranking for all the work we are doing to drive positive change. We have already achieved a lot, but we know there is far more to do.”

Kevin Phelan, Board Member, Council for Responsible Sport, added: “London Marathon Events is taking a truly systematic approach to not only track and measure its progress on environmental, social and economic factors at the TCS London Marathon through the use of ReScore, but is demonstrating strong leadership and innovation in critical areas for the industry. We are excited to be collaborating with LME on their journey and their commitment to responsible sport.”

LME has also started working with Green Element, a specialist carbon consultancy, to benefit from its Compare Your Footprint platform to improve data capture and analysis. This will enable LME to produce more accurate carbon emission calculations.

Image: DanHuddleston/ CC BY-SA 4.0/ Edited for size